


For the Birds

by Vermin_Disciple



Category: Slings & Arrows
Genre: Community: ds_snippets, Gen, Humor, Shakespeare, Theatre, Wordcount: 100-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-07
Updated: 2010-06-07
Packaged: 2017-10-09 23:25:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/92736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vermin_Disciple/pseuds/Vermin_Disciple
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>It was Monday, and Darren was being exasperating.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	For the Birds

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [ds_snippets](http://community.livejournal.com/ds_snippets), for the prompt, 'flamingo.'

It was Monday, and Darren was being exasperating.

These two facts were not linked. Darren, it was well known, could be exasperating on any day of the week.

"Darren," said Anna, in her most reasonable tone. Darren bristled. "We are not getting you live flamingos."

"I need them! The entire atmosphere of the piece hinges on the presence of those flamingos!"

"But it's _Julius Caesar_!" said Anna. Darren raised an eyebrow. "And you only want them for one act. And why on earth do you need flamingos in Rome?"

"Flamingos are exactly the sort of exotic import that ancient Roman imperial goons would happily show off to their sycophants, either in a cage or on a plate!" said Darren. "The flamingos, not the sycophants. This isn't _Titus Andronicus_."

Thank God for small favors.

"But you're not even setting it in _ancient_ Rome! You have Antony delivering his funeral oration from the window of a spaceship. One that looks suspiciously like the Death Star."

"The decadence of empire transcends time and place," said Darren, in his most condescending drawl.

"Couldn't you use something _else_ to portray the decadence of empire?" she tried. Preferably something that wouldn't leave droppings all over the stage.

"Do you not understand the significance of the flamingos' color? Caused by the ingestion of aqueous bacteria? The metaphor is so obvious a child could see it!"

Anna could not, but felt that if there was a child in this conversation, it wasn't her.

"That may be," she said evenly. "But unless you can get that child to pay for them, no live flamingos!"

"Fine," snapped Darren. "No live flamingos. Long live the bourgeoisie!" He crossed his arms. "I'll settle for stuffed."

Anna breathed a sigh of relief.

"And I mean taxidermy, not polyester!"

Monday was an exasperating day.


End file.
